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Use of Biosolids for Phytocapping of Landfill Soil

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Abstract

Conventional clay capping for post-closure management of landfill commonly cracks and deteriorates over time. As a consequence, water ingress into waste increases as a function of time, potentially causing a range of environmental issues. An alternative approach is known as phytocapping, which utilizes select plant species to control cap stability and moisture percolation. In this study, growth of Arundo donax L. (giant reed), Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (Indian mustard), and Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) on a landfill site was studied with different biosolid amendment rates (0, 25, and 50 Mg ha−1). Cultivation of the landfill cap and amendment with biosolids significantly improved the characteristics of the soil. Growth of each plant species increased due to biosolid addition. Giant reed produced the largest biomass in the 50 Mg ha−1 biosolid amendment rate (38 Mg ha−1 dry weight). The high pH and clay content of landfill cap soil, and the low metal concentrations of the biosolid resulted in low heavy metal (copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead) accumulation in leaves of most treatments. The improvement in growth and limited uptake of metal contaminants to plant shoots indicated that biosolid application to landfill clay caps improves the application of phytocapping of old landfill sites.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Kwon-Rae Kim of the National Academy of Agricultural Science, Republic of Korea for his contribution towards the establishment of the experimental plots. Financial support from the Cooperative Research Center for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Building X, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Dane T. Lamb, Nanthi Bolan & Ravi Naidu

  2. Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Dane T. Lamb, Nanthi Bolan & Ravi Naidu

  3. Fibrecell Pty Ltd, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Stephen Heading

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  1. Dane T. Lamb
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Correspondence to Dane T. Lamb.

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Lamb, D.T., Heading, S., Bolan, N. et al. Use of Biosolids for Phytocapping of Landfill Soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 223, 2695–2705 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-011-1060-x

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